Morita Kanya VIII in the Role of Uguisu no Jirosaku, the Palanquin Bearer

This image is based on the closing scene of the first act of the Kabuki play entitled "Katakiuchi Noriyai Banashi (A Medley of Tales of Revenge) ." Kanya is shown twisting his body in a dance he performed in this episode. The scene involved Actor Morita Kan'ya VIII as Uguisu no Jirosaku, Ichikawa Komazô ＩＩ as Shiga Daishichi, and Nakayama Tomisaburô as Miyagino, the eldest daughter of Matsushita Mikinoshin, but since Komazô and Tomisaburô already appear in other prints and other scenes, this print shows only Kan'ya. With both hands wrapped in the sleeves of his kimono and held in front of his chest as he stares to the side shows an accurate depiction of his stance on the stage, and is one of the most dynamic of Sharaku's bust portrait works. Sharaku's characteristic use of realistic depiction with emphatic eye outlines and eyebrows is particularly evident here.